Cambridge Botanic Garden
While in Cambridge, we spent some time wandering around Cambridge Botanic Garden, looking at some of the 8000 plant species.
The cacti caught my eye, but I also loved the cat that I spotted sitting in the gardens, keeping a very close eye on a patch of grass. I'm not sure what he was waiting for, but he seemed very serious.
Anglesey Abbey
We spent the day exploring the grounds at Anglesey Abbey near Cambridge, wandering along paths through the gardens and discovering different parts of the site.
One of the first things we saw was a long avenue of trees, with statues along the way. We also wandered into the old watermill, Lode Mill. It is still in use today, something I didn't find out until we were inside the mill and things started moving.
The dahlia garden was my favourite. There were so many different colours in bloom.
As we were leaving, we stumbled across another little part of the garden, a small hideaway where you could sit quietly and watch the birds and squirrels.
Climbing Penshaw Monument
A couple of years ago, I visited Penshaw Monument and decided there was no way I'd be brave enough to climb to the top. You can read that post here.
When we visited again, I still wasn't planning to climb it. I'm not good with heights, and the thought of climbing the narrow spiral staircase inside one of the pillars wasn't exactly appealing. But eventually, I decided to give it a go.
We were given torches to wear on our heads because the staircase inside the pillar was so dark, and then we started the climb. The staircase seemed to get narrower as we went up, although that might just have been me getting more nervous! 😂
The views are worth the climb. From the top, you can see for miles across the surrounding countryside, with the Stadium of Light visible in the distance.
I'm not sure I'll be in a rush to climb it again, but I'm glad I did it.
Seaham Beach
I've shared photographs from Seaham before, but when we visited the beach again recently, there were pools of water that were bright red.
It was a hot summer's day and surprisingly quiet on the beach, so I spent some time photographing the pools and the unusual colours they created against the sand.
A Rainy Visit to Sudbury Hall
When we arrived at Sudbury Hall, the rain showed no signs of easing off, so we headed inside to explore the house first.
The Long Gallery was one of my favourite rooms, with beautiful plasterwork running along the walls and ceiling. After we'd had a look around, the rain finally stopped and we were able to head outside into the grounds. It was lovely to see the gardens, which included an old fountain.
